Foul play “not acceptable”

Buncrana’s Town Councillors have hit out at dog owners who let their dogs foul on the road or run loose around the town. The councillors were speaking following a motion by Fianna Fail Councillor James Gill, which called on the Council to “request the appropriate authority to ensure that adequate measures are taken by dog owners to keep their dogs under control and that dog owners take responsibility for dog litter.” He cited the walkway from Ned’s Point to Father Hegarty’s Rock as one area, which was particularly affected. He said: “ I proposed this motion following my own observation and people talking to me about that path out at Father Hegarty’s Rock. “One man said he was running out there recently and was knocked to the ground and bitten by a dog. Besides the people becoming injured, there are other various difficulties in relation to dog litter too. The germs concerned with that are a very real danger to the public and to young children in particular, it has a negative impact on health and if it I not brought under control it’s going to affect people’s choices of whether to go there or not. “That is a very beautiful facility which attracts tourism and it is a great shame that we’d reduce the impact of it. Maybe we could have something in place to enforce dog owners to keep their dogs under control.” Councillor Joe Doherty seconded the motion and urged dog owners to use the litter bins provided. He said: “Buncrana is inundated with dogs running around on the Main Street and in different places around the town. My main concern is dog foul. The Council, in fairness to the engineers, took measures on that and have erected foul boxes. “I’d ask people to take their scoops with them whenever they’re out walking their dog. It’s not fair to other people in the town. “It’s very important the message goes out that if you’ve a dog and it decides to do its business on the way, there’s boxes for that.” Mayor Lee Tedstone called the dog foul at the Ned’s Point walkway “disgraceful.” “I use that particular walkway two or three times a week and it’s disgraceful what’s there, “ he said. “It poses a health risk to small children.” Councillor Michelle Bradley also voiced her concerns. She said: “I support this proposal. “It’s a very serious issue which could have very serious consequences if not dealt with.” Councillor Nicholas Crossan added that, while there were “many responsible dog owners,” anyone who was responsible for litter in the town should be dealt with in the appropriate manner. He said: “Not one person has been fined for littering in Buncrana. Maybe when a person is, this message will get through.” Mayor Tedstone suggested that Councillor Grant’s proposal could be considered at the next meeting of the Joint Policing Committee. Councillor Gill responded by stating the “relevant authorities could investigate it with the Council.” Mayor Tedstone concluded by issuing a message to dog owners. “We need to put out a very strong message – anyone who lets their dog foul on the road – it’s just not acceptable.”